Bloodbath in Ohio: Numerous Exotic Animals Killed After Being Freed

By now many of you know about an incredibly bizarre incident involving animals who ran rampant after being released from a private animal reserve near Zanesville, Ohio after one of the owners of the reserve released them and then apparently shot himself. I first heard about it early in the morning soon after it happened and I've had a number of emails about this situation, all of which expressed concern about the fact that as of this writing at least 49 of the animals have been killed, most of them within 1500 feet of their pens, six tranquilized, and one hit by a car. One monkey is still missing.

Ohio is one of about eight states that does not regulate exotic animals. While it's interesting to ponder why numerous exotic animals - wolves, mlonkeys, bengal tigers, bears, leopards - were allowed to be kept on the reserve and why the laws regulating these sorts of situations are nonexistent or pretty weak and the few existing standards rarely enforced, it's also important to know why so many were routinely killed and only a few tranquilized. Why weren't more or all tranquilzed? If they could be shot with a bullet why couldn't they be shot with a tranquilzing dart? And, while these animals roamed around the farmlands in and around Zanesville, there were no reports of any attacks on humans. Indeed, most of the animals didn't leave the general area of what had been their home. Many might have been as scared as some of the local humans.

It's too late to bring these animals back and give them the life they deserved. And little is to be gained by blaming the authorities although an inquiry into this mass slaughter should surely be conducted. But one thing that can and must be done is to implement regulations and laws about the keeping of exotic animals, strengthen the ones that currrenly exist, enforce them vigorously, and make it impossible for people to keep these magnificent beings on unregulated reserves or in their homes. The property status of animals must also be changed because right now these and other animals are merely objects in the eyes of the law, similar to backpacks, bicycles, and couches. There's really little we can't do to them that isn't "legal."

Please write local and national authorities and politicians and get the ball rolling. This was surely a preventable tragedy and keeping exotics like these is an accident waiting to happen. You can also sign a petition to ban the sale, harboring, and ownership of exotic animals in Ohio.

And please light a candle for these innocent victims of wide-ranging abuse. Let's always remember the "Zanesville 49."

It is really tragic that this massacre had to happen. Tigers and lions are on the almost extinct list, my head is in a whirlwind over this news. People have such a panic over the unknown animal brain... what are they going to do?????? Are they going to attack me????? Well... who has the gun?

I will say that one of the officers did express that he didn't enjoy killing the bear, but he was happy to put the residents at peace. I am not sure what that means... because I would feel very fortunate to be living among such magical animals... but ?!

I am most definitely going to be signing and starting petitions to strengthen the laws of owning exotic animals... and the trade of their parts once they have passed.

Taxidermy has grown over the past few years. People stating they LOVE the animals they "stuff" or display... and they received them from a "sanctuary." How are those monitored? Well, I have been looking into it for the past year... and it is really something that can't be answered easily.

A sanctuary a lot of times, is just an animal hoarder in disguise.

We need to crack down on these loose laws of selling, buying, and trading animals... be aware of the poachers.. be aware of the hoarders... and save these animals from extinction.

I too am frustrated by the way people react to animals on the loose - if these were animals from the zoo - would they have so readily killed them? They could have roped off the areas and just told people to stay in their houses. I agree if a bullet can hit them so can a tranquilizer gun - I do want to blame them because where I am now living which is a natural wildlife corridor they too readily kills wild animals that wander into urban areas with way too much speed - we need more people to be outraged about this as well.

As for the rules regarding exotic animals - yes this is ridiculous just as zoos etc are now archaic and unnecessary. Who knows maybe he was raising them for canned hunting - and that absolutely should be illegal! What is wrong with this world? I feel so frustrated and saddened by this whole event.

they had to shoot the aminals in the interest of public safety because it was getting dark and raining so tranquilizing them was unsafe and the cages they were in had been vandalized by the now dead owner who let them go

I think your comment about zoos being archaic misses the mark. Modern zoos - accredited ones at least - conduct more conservation work than the public realizes. Behavior research, population studies, re-release programs and international educational efforts have all improved the fate of endangered species and smoothed the human-wildlife conflicts that some of the other commenters have talked about. And the majority of this work is done by zoos.

What once were menageries for people to gawk at animals are now world-class institutions that work hard to SAVE animals around the world. And conservation research shows that by enabling the public to come see the animal in a safe (for people and the animals), clean, modern education- and conservation- minded zoo actually encourages the public to care more about conservation. So, if you're worried about the plight of animals around the world, or here in the US, look to your local zoo accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; they're leading the charge you are talking about. They are a resource and an ally in animal welfare and conservation issues.

Mark Bekoff raises critical questions. Why weren't they all tranquilized? Why were they immediaely considered so dangerous? In modern societies, most people have become so detached from most nonhuman animals that only archaic fears prevail. There is no sense of respect for animals or our shared bonds with them. We need laws that protect animals from this kind of abuse, and we need to cultivate a deep appreciation for other living beings.

I read that they attempted to tranquilize one or two, but after the tiger didn't fall down after being hit... they shot him/her... then just decided to shoot the rest because it was too dangerous. Supposedly, the tiger charged the guy. Do I believe this? No.

As an animal lover, conservationist and Ohio resident. I too feel bad that the animals had to be shot. HAD TO being the opperative phrase.
These animals were not only wild, they were used to being fed by humans. That makes them that much more dangerous in that they did not have what should have been a natural distaste for being in the proximity of human civilization.

Most of these animals were also nocturnal, as in-hunts at night and hides during the day. The best time to find these animals is at night. Aside from the damage these animals could have done to homes, cars, livestock and pets, many of them were ill due to lack of proper vet care. So now they would be spreading disease as well.

... The fault of the situation in the first place falls with not only the owners of these animals but the State agencies that allowed the animals to remain on that property after it had been shown that the care provided for them was severely inadaquate. If you want to go even further into it you can also spread the blame to include the black market breeders and smugglers of these animals as well as whoever let thim into the U.S. in the first place.

What would you do if an 800 lbs. lion showed up in your backyard? Unless you live in Africa, you would shoot first and ask questions later.

Hmm.. What would I do if a 800lb tiger showed showed up in my backyard? I'd stay inside the house, just as instructed by the murdering Sheriff's department! Everyone in your town was alerted to the potential dangers of these animals, and I'm assuming that you all are intelligent enough not to put yourselves at risk, I suppose I could be wrong about that! I live in upstate New york, there are wolves, coyotes, bears, and many other animals that I am almost certain could kill a human being. I walk in the woods all the time, and I'm still alive!!!! There are approximately 11 Bengal tigers left in the world, that makes them an endangered specie. If the Sheriff's Department had warned everyone and shut down the town, then it really wasn't as dangerous as they are trying to make it out to be. There is absolutely NO REASON why they couldn't have shot them with tranquilizers instead of with bullets. The only reason that I can think of that this situation ended the way it did, is because the Sheriff's Department thinks that they are a bunch of cowboy's and they probably had a great time on their little testosterone packed Safari Hunting Expedition! I hope that it was worth it because I'm certain that there is an Endangered Species Act and more than likely they have to comply with it, just like everybody else!!!

They had time to put out electronic signs on the roads but no time to get some tranquilizer guns to humanely deal with these animals. Saving these animals would of made this tragedy less of a tragedy. I am sure these deputies enjoyed this part of their job. Why didn't one of the cowards step up and insist on trying to help these animals? As long as they were fed they wouldn't be out looking to kill the precious 7 billion world population. How did they spare the six that survived? They don't talk about that. Sounds like they didn't even have to tranquilize them. What is really sad though is that these animals had such miserable lives from the time that they were born that dying was probably the best thing that happened to them.

Why let these animals enter in the first place, feed and care for them spending hundreds of 1000 's if not millions, only to get some trigger happy to mow them down.
Of course we won't be pleased to see a fully grown Tiger in our back yard, which kind of law allow people to keep these animals as pets.
Sorry guys, we spend millions in animal conservation programs, let the media show us videos and pictures of these animals, yet we slaughter them on our own turf. Hypocrisy, to say the least.
The Sheriff or whoever gave the order to shoot should be removed. They would have achieved their objectives with tranquilizers.
v - Test

If you lived near by you would know why they were killed, the property they were released from wasn't out away from other residential areas. It was close to other homes and neighborhoods that have children. Why weren't you here to deal with the situation if you such an expert. It was not the sheriffs fault the animals had to be shot. Did he go on this property and let them out of the cages? The owner who was a well known idiot in town let them out. The sheriffs job is not to protect wildlife but to protect the people in his town. That he did, unless you were here, or live in the town where it happened then stop using it for a publicity stunt. It was handled the best way it could be in a small town get over it. help change the laws if you are that pressed about it and stop sitting behind your computer bashing people you don't not even know. Common sense goes a long way here, let those animals kill one your family members or threaten your safety you would have made the same call.

What I do have a problem with is the sheriffs were out on this property more than 35 times checking out all the complaints. This information I received on Nightline when a local sheriff was asked if they were ever afraid of all these animals before the incident, the reply, "Yes we were every time we were on the property we feared for our lives having received over 35 complaints." The owner just got out of jail serving one year on weapons charges. Why was this unsafe place not shut down, so this tragedy could have been prevented?

Just found out on WNIR talk radio that the owner was $68,000 in debt. The sheriffs stated these animals were malnourished, so "We not only have frightened animals we have hungry animals." Jack Hanna in a radio interview stated the place was "a hoarding situation..." This means these animals were neglected. A bare minimum cost would be $20.00 per day per animal which computes to $30,000 per month. Established 501c3 sanctuaries often have to turn down taking in another animal because of the huge expense.

For those of you who are mad, sad or both give Ohio Governor Kasich a call at 614-466-3555 and ask for an emergency order on owning exotics in Ohio. The innocent dead animals at least deserve that, no matter your opinion on how or why they were killed!

What I do have a problem with is allowing this man to own all of these exotic animals even when there were over 35 complaints that the local sheriffs had to investigate and one sheriff expressed on Nightline that, "We feared for our own lives every time we were on the property." The owner was in $68,000 debt (at bare minimum it would cost $30,000 per month just to feed these 56 animals)and the officiers who shot the animals stated, "Not only are these animals frightened, they are hungry." Jack Hanna stated, "This was a hoarding situation."

Then this man was just released from jail having served one year on weapon charges. Not exactly your outstanding citizen. This place should have been shut down and then this tragedy could have been avoided. Or better yet why didn't Governor Kasich sign into law what our previous Ohio Governor Strictland had set up, a ban on owning exotic pets in Ohio?

I cannot even fathom how all the local residents who were put at great risk felt!!! Did you know it was a neighbor who was bringing in his horse for the evening, than he noticed some frightened horses in a field in the distance. Once he unbelievable saw a bengal tiger he called 911 and alerted the community.

What to do now? Everyone who is sad, mad, or both give John Kasich a call at 614-466-3555 and demand an executive order on owning exotic pets in Ohio, don't these innocent dead animals at least deserve that, no matter your opinion?!

I have been to the Mt Hope auction in OH where these exotic animals are sold. The animals were terrified/sad/confused and the bidders are mostly very unsavory.

I own non-releasable native wildlife; fur farm raccoons that were rescued from this auction where they hoped to be sold as breeders to another fur farm.

Private ownership of some unwanted exotics, native small mammals that can't be released, some birds, some reptiles can be accomplished safely and properly by qualified individuals. Sanctuaries should have more support, but should also post a bond with their license terms. There are too many of these unwanted animals and those profiting from importing, breeding and selling them is what must be stopped. (But we must remember that we can't eliminate ALL possession to the point we death sentence every non-releasable.)

Laws so weak they allow an individual with cruelty and neglect issues to possess all of the large, dangerous animals Terry Thompson had? Something is wrong and the present Gov'r should be fired. He's darn lucky a child wasn't hurt in this tragedy and no doubt he was sweating bullets.

Oh wow! I hadn't even though of that! A publicity stunt! Thanks for the tip jackass! I like that, someone genuinely gives a shit about something besides themselves, unlike you, and somehow it gets twisted into a publicity stunt!! Good one! So.... the Sheriff's department had no choice you say? Yet they had 35 complaints about the 49 extra large, starving, meat-eating carnivores up on the hill, and nobody from the Sheriff's department was concerned enough to do anything about it, until.... Oops, somebody let them out!! Funny, how nobody is concerned until it's in "our backyard". The Sheriff might as well had opened the cages himself, if he is going to ignore, "the well known idiot in town"! Just curious, How many of those animals were killed in your "backyard?" And once again, weren't you and your family alerted to the potential dangers of the situation? Sounds to me like everyone in your town knew about the animals being there, So weren't you ALWAYS in danger then? Seriously, how long do you think it takes to complete a collection of animals that big? Didn't happen overnight, did it? You always knew they were there and you didn't care, Common sense? Oh and PS, I'll sit behind my computer and voice my opinion any time I feel like it, so get over it!

A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.
Khalil Gibran

Does anyone have suggestions for how to stop this from happening to the other animals in this tragedy? Or other animals in Ohio? Or in the country? What are the other (about 7) states which do not regulate exotics kept by private parties?

We now know that this can happen. How shall we use that knowledge to make sure it doesn't happen tomorrow in Columbus? Or Omaha? Or Louisville?

And if you are eating chicken or steak or fish, this might be a good opportunity to think about your moral schitzophrenia.

Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?

Life is life...in the entire expanse of our universe only here on Mother Earth is life as life is.

Those who care of and for life's continued extension, it is these very special individuals that are in absolute aw of just how magnificent and precious life is.

Just think...no batteries required.

A simple meal and/ or just water, which is in itself life, is all that is required to create and continue a life...and freedom from the human race.

Granted humans have enhanced the lives of animals and plants but only because humans have interrupted their life cycle by intrusion/domination...instead of compatibility.

Genesis: Chapter 1 vs 26;
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

God said DOMINION...not DOMINATE.

He challenges us to be the keepers of every one of his creation...not a destroyer.

Life is life...in the entire expanse of our universe only here on Mother Earth is life as life is.

Those who care of and for life's continued extension, it is these very special individuals that are in absolute aw of just how magnificent and precious life is.

Just think...no batteries required.

A simple meal and/or just water, which is in itself life, is all that is required to create and continue a life...and freedom from the human race.

Granted humans have enhanced the lives of animals and plants but only because humans have interrupted their life cycle by intrusion/domination...instead of compatibility.

Genesis: Chapter 1 vs 26;
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

God said DOMINION...not DOMINATE.

HE challenges us to be keepers of every one of his creation...not a destroyer.

Hi Nippit,
The word "dominion" means (according to the dictionary) to "have complete control over", "to be in subjection to", "to have complete soverignty over". Sorry to break this to you, but these definitions fit the word "dominate" very well. Most of us think of "dominate" as something bad, but as long as the "domination" does not constitute harm or loss of life, it is not necessarily a bad thing. In this case though, it seems that animals have to suffer at the hands of some human's mental illness and/or stupidity. It is a cruel world, but that's the way it is unfortunately.
As for God and his Word, It was made for a perfect world and our world today is far from perfect. In fact, according to 1Corinthians, 'The whole world lies in the power of the Wicked One' (meaning the Devil), so this tells us that God is not in complete control of this world. In fact, he is taking a more passive role in this world in order to prove to both the Devil and mankind that mankind cannot rule himself. As for the animals killed in my beloved state, I too am saddened and wished that it never happened. But most of all, I wish that people would leave these wild, magnificent animals alone in their habitats so that they could live the lives that God meant for them to live in this imperfect world-as wild, free animals. These animals are too big, too predatory, and too untame to live among us humans and they do not have the capacity to live as the domesticated animals that we wish for them to be. The owner of this animal preserve had all the necessary permits to keep these animals, however he should have been watched to make sure that he made the necessary arrangements for these animals' health and safety in the event of his death. This was clearly a very selfish, mentally unstable man who took it upon himself to have these magnificent animals and then free them when he wanted to end his own life. I am very sorry that these animals had to suffer, but since the so-called Columbus Zoo animal experts (such as Jack Hanna) didn't want to get involved with this incident (danger of the darkness of night, lack of state resources/funds,who really knows?) Zanesville just went into a panic and thus sent out the "shoot to kill" orders as a protective means for Zanesville's citizens as well as others in towns around Zanesville. At the time of the incident, no one knew how much of a "head start" these freed animals had,and the last they were fed was two days before they were killed. In other words, they were freed pretty much in the hungry state and would have been considered dangerous to the rest of us. And we all know that a hungry animal kills on instinct-I don't think you would find the thought of an 800+lb animal hunting you down as its next meal as a pleasant one. All the best to you.

Just recently in MN, a wolf escaped from its enclosure at the zoo, and was shot. Not tranquilized and this was right in the zoo grounds. Obviously this is a tragic incident but I don't think it's as easy as people think.

The events in Zanesville Ohio today are not just a tragedy for the United States but a much larger tragedy for the world. I am especially troubled by the loss of so many tigers and other felines that were held at this private facility. Why did this guy have so many apex predators at this location? Didn't anyone question this or do anything to monitor what was going on?

The reports I have read indicate that this was not really a sanctuary but rather a private collection that did not appear to have any degree of oversight or regulation by any responsible organization to protect the interests of the animals. Nor was there any contingency plan in place to protect the interests of the surrounding human community, who were apparently so motivated to shoot first and ask questions later.

Of the nine original subspecies of tigers, three have become extinct in the last 60 years, the Bali tiger became extinct in the 1930's, the Caspian tiger in the 1970's, and the Javan tiger in the 1980's. Of the remaining six subspecies (Siberian, Bengal, IndoChinese, Malayan, South China, and Sumatran) the numbers in the wild are estimated to be approximately 5,000 in total. There are more Siberian tigers in captivity in the world than there are in the wild, which appears to be less than 300. And it appears that the South China tiger is in fact extinct in the wild with only about 60 captive South China tigers in existence. These magnificent obligate carnivores could conceivably become totally extinct in the wild, according to experts, in no fewer than 12 years from now. What will the world be like without any tigers? We may have an answer to this question sooner than we all might like.

Every tiger life is precious if the species is to survive. The loss of so many tigers today is extremely regrettable. Seeing the pictures of the carnage, probably unnecessary, was extremely upsetting and reminiscent of the carnage from other tragic killings. If these were images of human victims instead of non-humans, there would be a national outcry. Where is the outrage?

I respectfully disagree with the perspective of Jack Hanna for the logic in why these animals were systematically slaughtered by the police. With several friends who operate legitimate big cat sanctuaries in Florida, Minnesota, and Oregon, my experience is that there are always non-lethal alternatives available to the authorities to recapture escaped animals. This morning the authorities failed to prepare for a potential problem, followed by another failure to execute a non-lethal recovery plan to save the lives of these innocent animals.

Since hind sight is 20/20, I hope that people will mobilize to seriously consider the wisdom of regulating the public's access to wild animals. As long as people look at non-human animals as objects to be owned, fail to change that attitude to recognize our collective obligation to provide care for those animals when we remove them from their natural environment, and fail to provide true sanctuary for the remainder of their lives while in captivity, we will continue to experience repeating tragedies such as this.

if we only cared about the lives of the children who are aborted daily - what number would you give them?

Pam: people clearly care about children. Zygotes are another matter that is up for debate; what zygotes have to do with species that may not last another 50 years is beyond me. I'm not sure why people can't discuss bad things that happen to animals without others bringing up the supposed superiority of humans. Self-justification? This is obviously a sad situation and it would've been preferable to have tranquilized the animals. It would also be great if these wild animals' habitats weren't destroyed and they weren't threatened with extinction.

Oh Wow! Are we really going to bring human abortion into this subject? I'm positive that one has absolutely nothing to do with the other! I'll tell ya something, I'd rather be an aborted fetus, than be an unwanted, suffering, starving, possibly abused child. Not to mention, Abortion is the perfect overpopulation solution!

I was shocked after reading the news and also that such incident happened in the USA. I thought that human and animal rights are better regulated there. I wonder if anybody from the authorities will be questioned over this shooting. I would also like to know if the law of the state is going to change to avoid similiar incidents in the future. This is very sad and dissapointing!

Know what ? Changed my mind. This trigger happy - shoot to kill mentality is our way of life. We don't give a damn - be it for humans - nor beasts. Main thing some hero with a telescope aims with an 0.454 and wham - another cadaver .. What the heck. We bring them from all over the world, who issues the permits ? Do they check a wacko who thinks he is some Tarzan boy ? No. Do they care for the animals after they arrive ? No. Anyone thought about costs involved in shipping those animals from wherever ? Can't we rather leave them in the jungle and let them enjoy their live ? No.
Tell you what. Anonymous tried to reason why they shot the Tigers and lions. Nothing you say convinces me tranquilizer guns could not have been used.
Now the Sheriff will get a medal from the governor. For saving public lives. Of course he did. But he could have done better.
v test

Has anyone considered the possibility that the police executed his animals, then murdered him, claiming suicide!!! Why does everyone always beleive the police??? wake up america!!! I know game hunters who say those animals were shot in their cages!! Do you really think they could have hunted down all those animals so quickly? Why was Jack Hannah there? maybe to make us feel better!! Americans still can't admit what they did to Kennedy!